Best Places to Walk

Welcome 2-Week Walking Challenge Walkers! Whoo-hoo! Such a fun experience so far - I hope you are having as much fun as I am!

Today we are going to look at some places to walk on your daily walk - for the Challenge and into the future! Mixing it up is important for a few reasons:

• It can help you stay motivated, mentally - you'll be looking forward to a new route, new scenery, and more.
• It helps challenge different muscle groups. If you walk the same path every day, your body gets used to it and your muscles may not work as hard. Changing up the incline, type of ground you are walking on, and including a variety of up and down hill helps works different muscles.
• It can help you lose weight. Mixing it up works those different muscles, forcing you to use more energy and burn more calories!

So here's some ways you can mix up your walks!!

• On the beach. Walking on sand can really help you work those muscles and burn more calories than if you were walking on concrete. The added benefits of the water, sea life and birds makes walking on the beach a true joy. Make sure you wear sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses to protect against UV damage, and enjoy!
• Hiking. Hiking is one of my favorite forms of exercise. The sights, smells, changes of temperature as you go from sun to shade and back... plus the incline and decline and the occasional use of your arms can make  this a true whole body workout. If you use walking sticks, then it IS a whole body exercise! If you are new to hiking, check out local parks for some minor hills, and as you embrace it, try out a state park to up the wow factor!
• On a track. many local high schools and colleges often let people use their tracks for no fee - call ahead as sometimes there are time restrictions, especially for indoor tracks. Bit if you can, take advantage! Many tracks are constructed with shock absorbing materials, so there is less wear and tear on your joints. Plus, there are usually other people around, so it can be a safe place to get in your daily walk.
• Take some stairs (or a hill). No doubt about it, stairs and hills are an excellent way to burn more calories, boost your metabolism, build up your lower body muscles to increase stamina, and even lift your booty!! It's also an excellent way to add some high-intensity cardio to your walking. So if you are up to it, walk up and down any stairs you come across in your walks!
• Go indoors. It's not always the best weather to walk outdoors - and that's OK, because there are plenty of indoor options! You can start with my 30-Minute Indoor Walking Workout, available through my membership (you can try it now when you start your 30-day FREE trial!), which is a fun group walking workout. You can also head to the local mall - many have mile markers to help you navigate how long you have walked. You can also simply walk around your home - every little bit counts!

In addition to new places to walk, you can keep your walks interesting by mixing up the time of your workouts, grabbing a friend to keep you company (and accountable!), and listening to a podcast or music to keep your mind engaged. And if you want to up the benefits, add in light hand weights, ankle weights, or wear a weighted vest - all help to burn extra calories.

I hope you like these suggestions, and that they help you stay motivated!!

xoxo, Denise